Commissioner Mike Halleck, food pantry volunteers Vicki and Terry McCuen, East Liverpool City Hospital Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Gretchen Nickell, Wellsville Community Foundation Director Eddie Murphy, East Liverpool City Hospital nurse practitioner Jamie Boyle, East Liverpool City Hospital CEO Stephanie Conn, East Liverpool City Hospital Director of Physician Services Melissa Snider and Wellsville Mayor Bob Boley participate in the ribbon cutting for the relocation of the First Baptist Church Food Pantry to the Wellsville Clinic.

WELLSVILLE — Following speeches of gratitude for the volunteers from officials who helped make it happen and a ribbon cutting, the First Baptist Church Food Pantry has officially opened on Thursday in its new location even though the relocation took place in June.

The food pantry previously housed at the First Baptist Church in Wellsville is now located in the basement (rear entrance) of the Wellsville Clinic Building, 601 Main St., Wellsville.

The new location, which, due to its larger size, provides easier access to clients, will be open on Fridays from 3-5 p.m.

The food pantry is open to all Wellsville Community members, and new clients are being accepted.

Speakers at the ribbon cutting included Eddie Murphy, director, Wellsville Community Foundation, Wellsville Mayor Bob Boley, East Liverpool City Hospital CEO Stephanie Conn, -Commissioner Mike Halleck, Second Harvest Food Bank Director of Operations and food pantry operators Terry and Vick McCuen.

Murphy welcomed hospital staff, officials and volunteers to the celebration and told everyone present that she believes in miracles and that the relocation to the new space was an absolute miracle. She also thanked all the volunteers for how they made the food pantry possible over the years.

Boley thanked the pantry volunteers for their time and for keeping the pantry in Wellsville.

Conn said that she wanted to thank everyone “for being awesome community partners with the hospital” and noted that one of the main goals in the hospital system is to serve the community and give back to the community.

“I am so pleased that we were able to make this happen for the food pantry and all the years that you have served and to make it easier for you guys to administer to your families that you serve,” Conn said.

Conn thanked the volunteers and community partners for allowing the hospital to be a part of relocating the pantry and said she looks forward to a long-term partnership and how they can continue to help the church/pantry with their ministry.

Halleck recalled how Murphy showed him the basement and wondered what she was going to do with it. He also congratulated everyone who made the relocation possible and wished everyone the best.

Terry McCuen expressed his gratitude to the hospital for getting them into the space at the clinic and thanked those who have donated over the past 22 years to keep the pantry going.

Vicki McCuen said the pantry started in 2003 under the former pastor Roosevelt Thompson who had a vision of a food pantry and took them to see three food pantries in the Youngstown’s area. They decided it was something they would love to do in Wellsville and was needed.

She noted that the pantry started out in a three-room house with a leaky roof and no electricity, but as tough as it was, they bagged up food. They would relocate to the church later on after improvements were made to it to house a food pantry.

Vicki agreed with Murphy that the new location is a miracle.

Terry thanked all the volunteers who came in to help unload the food truck and distribute food.

“We are just an extension of God’s hand in helping those that need help,” Terry said. “God has blessed us and I can’t thank him enough for doing what he has done for us and it has been good and we are going to continue to do good.”

He described how when the pantry was located at the church, he would have to set up tables to put the food on when the truck came, put out the food and then tear everything down afterwards.

With a permanent location at the clinic, the pantry will remain set up and the McCuens and volunteers won’t have to worry about setup or tear down anymore. The clinic location also provides more storage space, making operations easier now.

Brock, who has been with Second Harvest food bank for about 15 years said it was a team that made this happen and she considers it to be a victory for everyone including the pantry, the people the pantry serves and the for the Second Harvest Food Bank which helps supply the pantry.

She also said she looks forward to more years and more food, as we head into interesting times which will keep the pantry busy.

Vicki said “some of the biggest benefits would be to those who come to the pantry because they won’t have to stand in line or sit in their cars in the cold or rain until they could get into the pantry.” Now they can come directly inside, and have a seat until their turn.

kgarabrandt@mojonews.com